erica

I have very foggy recollections of the summers of my childhood. They stretched out forever, endless days of lazy, unscheduled lovely boredom. There was usually an un-airconditioned road-trip from our home in New York to Toronto, which meant a stay at my grandmother’s house, play with my cousins, and a camping holiday in the wilds […]

An early-morning conversation with Gavin: G: Why do you wear this golden ring? (pointing to a plain gold band on the ring finger of my right hand.) Me: It was Bubby’s wedding ring. She gave it to me for good luck when you were sick. G: Did you have good luck? Me: Yes, because you […]

Today is our D-day anniversary. Four years since the words, “Gavin has a brain tumour,” utterly exploded our world into thousands of pieces. Four long years of putting those little pieces back together in a way that makes sense, although nothing has ever been the same, nor will it ever be. I learned yesterday that […]

Disclaimer: This post is deeply personal, and not for the medically squeamish. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, Gavin’s little sister has currently taken up residence. She’s been baking away for 20 weeks now and making me feel elated. And miserable. And excited. And fearful. She will make her grand entrance this autumn. […]

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene The above quote has come across my path 3 times in the last couple of days. Days, which have been, in all honesty, difficult. I am trying – trying – to come to a place of acceptance […]

My son’s skull no longer has a large hole in it. His surgery on Wednesday was a success and he is recovering well. I want, as always, to offer thanks to all my friends and family who sent messages of love and support and who have been with me not just during the last two […]

As ever, I’m astonished at how quickly time sprints away, and here we are at the first day of spring. Which in Toronto means that it’s grey, chilly, and the dirty old snow and ice left over from this ridiculous winter is slowly melting to reveal a disgusting debris of cigarette butts and plastic bags […]

“Well, it looks like you managed to stop him from going over the precipice this time,” my mother said, quite dramatically to me the other day. (I know where I get my flair for theatrics from.) We were on the phone, and I was filling her in on the details of Bean’s latest illness, which […]

It’s January the second, and we are all still full of rosy resolutions and lofty ambition for the new year. 2014! Exactly how did that happen? And how do we still not have household robots and flying cars? Admittedly, I am tapping out this post on a device that would have been completely Star Trek […]

As October flies past, I’m looking back over the last few weeks with continued thanks that Gavin has been mostly well. His episodes have ratcheted down from daily to a few times a week. He manages them, having short lie-downs at school or home until they pass. I still have no idea what could be causing them, but […]